Car-coupling.



PATENTED JULY 28, 1903.

J. TIMMS.

GAE GQUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. so. 1902.

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INVENTOR Attorney PATENTBD JULY 28, 1903.

J. TIMMS.

CAR COUPLING. APPLIGATIOK 111mm APR. 30, 1902.

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WITNESSES N0 MODEL.

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GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1902.

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J. TIMMS.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1902.

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4/5 E ///A I N VEN T OR M W j W 6 Atlorney UNITED STATES Patented Julyas, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES TIMMS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BUCKEYE MALLE ABLE IRONAND COUPLER COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 734,999, dated July 28,1903.

Application filed April 30, 1902. Serial No. 105,390. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES TIMMS, of Golumbus, in the county of Franklinand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to bee. full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to an improvement in car-couplings, the object ofthe same being to provide improved means for throwing the knuckle intoits open position.

With this object in view the invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and combinations of parts, as will behereinafter described, and pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the couplingwith its head in section, showing the knuckle and lockingblock. Fig. 2is a view in side elevation of the coupling with the side of the headcut away and showing the locking-block in its position in front of thetail of the knuckle. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the lineat a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a View in front elevation of thelocking-block. Fig. 5 is a view of same looking toward the inner side orthe side that is engaged by the tail of the knuckle. Fig. 6 is a view inperspective of same. Fig. 7 is a view of the knuckle looking toward thetail of the latter. Fig. 8 is a detached view of the knuckle and block,showing the latter resting on the tail of the knuckle. Fig. 9 is asimilar view showing the locking-block engaging the restricted surfaceof the rear arm or tail of the knuckle for throwing the latterinto itsopen position. Fig. 10 is a view in transverse section through the head,showing the lock set. Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic View showing knuckle armor tail and look from the right side of drawhead, the knuckle being inan unlocked position ready to open; and Figs.'12 and 13 are similarviews of modifications, and Fig. 14 is a view of a modified form ofknuckle.

1 represents the coupling head, 2 the knuckle, and 3 a pin on which theknuckle is pivoted. The rear arm or tail 4 of the knuckle is constructedwith a curved face 5, having an inclined surface 6 on its lower surface,which extends upwardly from the point 7 to the point 8. Locking-block 9is constructed with a shoulder 10, which is adapted to rest on the uppersurface 11 of the rear arm 4 of the knuckle and be supported there by.Thelower end of the locking-block is constructed with alaterally-projecting wedgeshaped portion having an inclined orWedgeshaped bearing-surface 12, which is forwardly inclined from itsupper and rear edge 14 to its lower and forward edge 15. This inclinedsurface 12 may be flat, orit may be made slightly convex, as shown inFigs. 4, 5, and 6, and is provided with a hardened bearing-surface 16,which may be in the form of a hardened-steel button setinto the face ofthe incline. Instead of constructing the block with an integral inclinedbearing-surface 12 the part carrying this inclined surface may be aseparate piece attached to or actuated by the block. The inclinedsurface 6 on the rear of the knucklearm is also hardened to insure asmooth and hard wearing-surface. When the knuckle is in its lockedposition, the inclined or wedgeshaped bearing surface rests within thepocket 17 in the lower wall of the couplinghead and one side 18 of thelocking-block engages the wall 19 of the coupling-head, while the tongue20 on the inner end of the knucklearm interlocks with the groove 21,formed in one side of the locking-block. This construction insures afirm and secure interlocking engagement otlthe locking-block with theknuckle and retains the latter against displacement. When thelocking-block is raised so that its wedge -shaped bearing-surfacestrikes the rear curved and inclined surface 6 on the knuckle, it willoperate to rotate the latter on its pivotal bearing, and by continuin gto raise the locking-block its wed ge-shaped bearing-surface 12 willcontinue to rotate the knuckle until it has been thrown into its openposition. This inclined surface 12, being forwardly inclined from itsupper to its .lower edge, by its engagement with the inclined surface onthe under side of the knuckle-arm serves to force the arm outwardly, andthis action is greatly facilitated by the leverage of the knuckle-arm,which is equal to the distance between a line 21 passing through thepivot-pin 3 and a line 22 parallel thereto and intersecting the point23, at which the wedgeshaped surface 12 engages theknuckle-arm. Thesetwo forces-viz., the wedge-shaped engaging surface on the locking blockand knuckle and the leverage exerted by the locking-block on the reararm of the knuckleenable the latter to be very readily and easily thrownfrom its locked to its unlocked position. 'By providing smooth and hardbearings on the inclined or wedge-shaped surface 12 of the locking-blockand on the inclined surface on the rear arm of the knuckle the frictionbetween the parts is greatly reduced and enables the knuckle to beopened by an expenditure of very little force and also the engagingsurface which insures the opening of the knuckle is preserved from unduewear.

Instead of providing the under side of the rear armof the knuckle withan inclined surface it may be constructed with a horizontal lowersurface, as illustrated in Fig. 14. As thus constructed the wedge-shapedand forwardly-inclined surface on the toe of the locking block willengage the lower and curved edge on the rear arm of the knuckle, andowing to the favorable leverage provided by the knuckle-arm the latterwill be moved outwardly and into its open position. While I prefer toemploy the inclined surface on the rear'arm of the knuckle, as itcooperates with the forwardly-inclined or wedge-shaped surface on thetoe of the locking-block, I do not limit myself to such invention,because, as has been shown, the inclined surface on the knuckle may bedispensed with. Again, if desired, the rear edge of the tail of theknuckle may be inclined from its lower to its upper edge, as at 12 inFig. 12, to correspond with a similar inclined surface l2 on the lock,or the rear lower edge ofthe knuckle may be forwardly inclined, as shownat 12 in Fig. 13, to engage an underhung projection 12 without anyinclination.

The locking-block is provided with a shoulder 22, which is made toengage or hook on a shoulder or ledge 23 on the inner wall of thecoupling-head by lifting the locking-block to its highest position whenthe knuckle is closed. Then it is desired to set the locking-block in aposition which will permit the knuckle to be closed without beingautomaticallylocked, it is simplynecessary to lift the lockingblock toits highest position, and when so lifted its upper end will tilt to oneside and cause its shoulder 22 to engage with and be supported by theshoulder or ledge 23 on the wall of the coupling-head. When the knuckleis opened, the upwardly-inclined surface 11 on its rear arm will engagethe locking-block and disengage its shoulder 22 from the shoulder 23 andpermit the block to rest with its shoulder 10 on the knuckle and causethe block to automatically lock the knuckle when moved to its lockedposition.

While I have shown and described one method of supporting thelocking-block in its unlocked position, I do not restrict myself to theparticular description shown and described.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a car-coupling, the combination with a coupling-head and a pivotedknuckle, of a locking-block provided at its lower end with a lateralprojection having a wedge-shaped upper surface, said surface having adecided inclination outwardly and downwardly from the upper and rearside of said projection to its lower and forward side.

2. In a carcoupling, the combination with a coupling-head and a pivotedknuckle, of a locking-block located approximately in line with the axisof the coupling-head and provided at its lower end with a lateralprojection having a wedge-shaped upper surface, said surface having adecided inclination from the upper and rear side of said projection toits lower and forward side.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination with a coupling-head and a pivotedknuckle, of a locking-block located approximately in line with the axisof the coupling-head and provided at its lower end with a lateralprojection, having a wedge-shaped upper surface, said surface having adecided inclination from its upper and rear side to lower and forwardside, and hardened.

4. A locking-block for a car-coupling provided at its lower end with alateral projection having a wedge-shaped upper surface, said surfacehaving a decided inclination outwardly and downwardly from the upper andrear side of said projection to its lower and forward side.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

. JAMES TIMMS.

Witnesses:

JAMES D. OSBORN, H. N. SMITH.

